2 days down four to go.

Ok so day one went well. I followed kamikaze kindness and the dance team. First we went to the local skate park to clean it up because bums come there at night and leave all their trash there. Along the way we cleaned car windows and the sidewalks. Once we went got there we handed out waters to the skaters and had signs that said free hugs. A group of the teenagers there were so moved that they made their own signs and started to give out their own free hugs. We saw them a few times throughout the city. I then met up with stephen in a park where he and a few others were sitting and talking with the homeless. I proceeded to try an take a pic of one particular lady. She stopped me and told me I had to ask her to take her pic. I asked then she said yes. So as I was about to take it she then flipped me the bird. The rest of the day was spent cleaning various parks and then the dance team would do their thang and we’d leave. Today I went to the redlight district with stop the traffik. It was really intense and intimidating. We got kicked out by the police. Twice. We were then going to head back to the metro so we were goin to take the shortcut through the train station but some guy started yelling at us telling us that we did not have the right to do that or the authority. So we just went around. Upon going around we discovered this building in which there people were squatting. Turns out there are about 460 people staying there as squatters out of protest because the government won’t give them their papers. We asked if we could do anything, all they said was we could use water. I’m really excited to go back there tomorrow with water. Will keep updating tomorrow. Here’s some love brussels

Oriantation

Saturday was orientation day for Serve the City volunteers. At 10 or so in the morning we began which meant that I had to be there several hours earlier to set up sound and projection equipment. The presentation that I put together went well. A team from South Africa did a dance for everyone that was really cool. Afterwards the volunteers went out to various workshops. When everyone met back at EPEE we took a group picture but some people were left out, but I think we will be retaking it again anyways. This was followed by lunch and free time until dinner. The next morning I got to sleep in, but I went to the market with Brittany Deal to check out the neat antiques and second hand items. Then Brian and I had to head to EPEE to get the sound and projection equipment to set up in a church aound the corner for all well. All well went well, haha, the worship team did a great job and Carlton gave an enticing message. All well was followed by dinner at EPEE. Unfortunatley we had to set up all the equipment before we left so we could hav eit ready in the morning. Tonight I have jsut been looking through pics so we can put together a slide show for tomorrow morning. Tomorrow we begin the serving of the city!

Being Lazy

Sorry I havent blogged anything in almost two weeks. Been kinda lazy. Lets see I have just been working on STC stuff everyday. Everything from posting posters and distributing fliers and make sure the presentation looks good. Today the visiting volunteers arrived so David Euans ran around to pick them up from the airport and trainstaion. Tonight we had a BBQ to kick things off at Epee, the HQ, for STC this week. I will update daily now that STC is starting tomorrow. Check Back Tomorrow
Some Brussels Love

A Month In Europe

Let’s see it’s been over a week since I have posted anything, guess I have just have been lazy. On sunday june 9th we had all well worship. It was held in a venue just around the corner from the well office so it was nice to not have to move all the stuff very far. Stephen took Brian and me to the huge market Clemenceau to buy sausages for the evening. That was an experience in itself because it was just a crazy market and were looking for a specific butcher that we had ordered the sausages from. We spent 45 min looking for it amongst the 100 other butcher stands. Literally 100 others. We gave up and just picked one an ordered all the sausages they had from two stands. The evening went well we had a potluck then worship, followed by some readings from song of songs. This month the well is focusing on the topic of Desire. So they had a panel of sexperts up at the front answer questions from a hat that people had written down about sexuality. They also had a couple come up front to read a passage from song of songs. And if you have read that book then you know what it’s about. If not then I encourage you to read it. I really like how the well does their meetings. The next day I hung out with Brittany deal and her friend Katie and Brian all day. We took Katie to the train station, then Brittany took us around to see some of the tourist sites. Like the pissing boy and the pissing girl. Yes, the pissing girl. I’ll have a pic posted eventually but it was raining so I didn’t wanna take my camera out. The next day we had a STC staff meeting it was fun just being there and adding input to stuff. Afterward Brian Stephen and I met up with Bernardo to discuss plans for video shooting. We are going to try and start an about the well series to cover each expression. We are going to start with the expression Jesus Paradise. The next day I woke up to a skype call from luke but it tured out to be way more exciting because my good friend israel was there along with ben my dad and andrew. It was my dad’s bday. So happy 51 padre! I was looking forward to babysitting for the doyles that night but they cancelled so I went to see a movie with Jeremie. The next day we had a crucially long meeting during the evening. It lasted 4 and a half hours. But it was good because we covered a lot. And got most of the assignments delegated. Although not all the details were smoothed out, we got through the majority. Now its friday so Brian and I decided to take a trip through europe we visited everything from the leaning tower of pizza in Italy to the Eiffel tower in France to Big Ben in Britain. How you ask? Well the answer my friends is Mini Europe. Mini Europe is the lamest cheesiest tourist trap I have ever been to. Don’t get me wrong we were fully expecting cheesy and lame. But it blew our expectations out of the water. Also we walked around the Atomium. The atomium was built during the 50s when the world’s fair came to brussels. You can see it in some of my pics I am posting up. Saturday was spent passing out fliers and putting posters up in bars and cafes and night shops around the area. Saturday evening we had a mario kart game night for some of the youth at the international school. It turned out to be a lot of fun because we also played apples to apples. Today we went to two expressions. We went to the Merode and Jesus Paradise. It was fun at both. Jesus Paradise meets in the evening so after we went and got durams a turkish restaurant. It was delicious. So that’s just a catch up. I’m going to post some links to my flickr so you can view all the photos. And here are some for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy. Mini Europe!!


Atomium by Night
1st Attempt at HDR
The Leaning tower of CHEEZA!

Time Flies

SOOOOOOOO I have been here for almost three weeks now, and the time has flown by. Tuesday was a meeting day for STC discussing different projects and who is orchestrating them. The afternoon consisted of helping vir with grocery shopping and taking care of Max. On the way home we stopped to get a beer and talk. Brian wanted a beer called palm. But it turns out that is the french word for Apple so when the waiter brought out his drink it looked like beer except it had ice in it. He tasted it and was like "this is apple juice". Vir said he caught his mistake but thought that he wanted apple juice. HA. That night the doyles invited us over for dinner wich consisted of sausages noodles with alfredo sauce and mojitos. The mojitos were delicious, but the highlight, at least for me, were the sausages from an irish butchery. Wednesday consisted of waking up late. Brian went with vir and stephen went to the mall to go get some sporting equipment. I sent out a buch of emails for carlton, I guess thats one of the duties that comes with being an intern. When I finished Stephen Brian and I went to square Margaritte to try an ball. Stephen and Brian found two guys to begin a pickup game with. I started to shoot hoops with Andrew, but a turkish boy came over and asked me if I wanted to play soccer. At least I think thats what he asked he didnt speak english, but it looked like they needed another player and he was motioning to me and to the two other kids who needed another teammate for three on three. The older kids put me on the team with smaller kids because they figured I would just take up space, but when I scored three in a row they decided to switch up the teams. The two kids running the program put me on their team so as to dominate all the other kids. Eventually they tried using all the english they knew which consisted of F@#* you, with hand gesture, porn, sex, tupac, and all sorts of rude hand gestures. They kept trying to get me to do them but I refused. After an hour or so of playing we left, because we were tired. Later in the eveing we had a visionary meeting on what are goals for kamikazee kindness were. I dont think we really got all that much done. After we went out for frites with vir and just had good conversation. Thursday worked on a presentaion for a while for the STC meeting that we have tonight. Brian and I went around an explored the city for a few hours. When we came back I left to go to a show that a friend had given me a ticket for. The band was Junior boys, I had listened to them before and liked their stuff. But live they were very good. Alot of fun to watch and played very well. The venue however is by far the coolest that I have ever been to. It was the same one where I saw Deerhunter the other week. It is in the dome of an old art museum of sorts. I really like how small it is and close the band is to everyone. It makes everything personal. Friday I worked on the presentaion some more til the STC fundrasier that night at a local bar. STC had a few singers local performers sing some songs and had multicultural foods available. I got put in charge of the swedish stand serving swedish meatballs. After, Brian Jeremie and I went to the Deals to watch hitch. Tonight we have a big meeting for STC at the EPEE, which is the place where STC HQ is, during the week of STC. Anyways here are some pics that Ive taken throughout the week. ENJOI!

My favorite Graffiti piece ive seen so far

Thinking about what this means

Im not really sure what I was expecting when I came up with name for my blog heartland feeling, but I am thinking that I discover a little more about what it means to me everyday. Its that point when you take a step back mentally from what you are doing and you get that feeling that this is exactly where you are supposed to be. Right here Right now. Everything has fallen exactly into place where it supposed to and you know it. Its like a secret revelation to yourself. The funny thing is most of the time its not when you are in deep meditation in some far off mountain in hymalaians, but when you are among people, intimate friends or complete strangers, experiancing some kind of event together. For instance today Brian and I were invited to Johnvir's, a guy on staff with CAI, to learn cook lasgna. I like the idea of having people over to not only have a meal but also to teach them to cook something as well, because you get to see the people in their natural element. Its not like a normal dinner party where the host feels like they have to make the house look perfect and then conversation at the during the meal is mainly superficial while maintaining a level of awkwardness. The time there was so real and intimate. They taught us how to prepare the meal and while we were waiting for it to bake Johnvir, Brian, and I went to the park to try and shoot hoops, while Mel watched baby Max. After the hour of ballin we arrived back to a house smelling of glorious lasagna. All throughout the evening we basked in great conversation. Even after the meal there wasnt that feeling that you had over stayed your welcome. Although, Mel had to go upstairs to grade paper, Johnvir, Brian, and I continued conversation as we cleaned up the meal and enjoyed some Belgian chocolate. Our conversation wasnt that deep or revelatory in any way it was just talk about life, exchanging stories and experiences. At this point in the conversation I mentally just zoned out for a minute and thought to myself, wait I hardly even know these people and not once has it been awkward in the 7 hrs I have spent with them. And it was at that point I realized that this just a piece of what heartland feeling means. Its experiences. Its stories. Its feelings. Its people. Its places. Its events. Its real. Its deep. Its fleeting. Its rare. Its candid. Above all Its personal. You never know when it will show up, but you will know exactly when it has arrived. Our conversation ended around 930 because Mel was tired and had to get up to teach tomorrow morning. But I just reflected on the evening and the idea of heartland feeling the whole walk home and snapped this pic that I though was fitting to end an enlightening evening.

Fests

Yesterday after posting to my blog. Brian and I met some friends down at the grand plaza for the city wide jazz marathon with over 70 free live shows in bars all throughout the city. The whole place was packed. It was fun going to the different bars and see the different kinds of jazz being played. Afterwards Nino took Brian and I to a club, where we met Jeremie and Laura. This was some of the craziest techno I have ever heard!! Brian and I stayed till round 330 or so then we caught a cab back the office. Nino is a dancing machine. Im not sure how late he stayed but prolly till 4 or 5 at least. Today I woke up to a meeting in the office. Afterwards Brian and I went to check out the festival going on at the skate park. After watching everyone skate we headed back to the well office for a STC meeting in order to get the ball rolling so to speak. This meeting was kinda long but it was good because now I have an idea of sorts of what I will be doing while Im here and how I can help. I am really stoked about this summer after this meeting because it put things in perspective how everything is going to come together. Once the meeting was over Brian made some deliche grill cheese then we headed back to the skate park because a band was playin. Upon arrival I noticed that the band wasnt the main attraction. But the bowl sesh going on. The band was playin right next to the bowl and mostly older dudes were just killin it. Some younger guys jumped in here or there but it was a lot fun, with the whole crowd watching and cheering when someone did something sick. I took alot of pics of the skaters, but unfortunately while editing them a good majority of the good ones that I wanted to keep got deleted. So I have posted the ones I was able to salvage along with some random pics over the past day. Enjoy.
Bowl Sesh




Even the dogs beg here